Feeler mechanism for looms



April 13, 1926.

E. H. BALLOU FEELER MECHANISM FOR Filed 1.5, 1924 Sheets-Sheet A ril 13,1926. 1,580,944

. E. H. BALLOU FEELER MECI' IANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Dec; 13, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet B A TTOR/VEY To all whom it may concern:

Patented Apr. I3, 1926.

UNITED STATES EUGEIIE H. BALLOT), OI IPAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR- T DRAPER COBP PATENT oer-Ice.

PonATIon', or noPnnALn, mAssAcHUsETTs, A CORPORATION 01: MAINE.

FEELEB MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Application filed December 13, 1924. Serial No. 755,799:

Be it known that I, EUGENE H. BALLbU, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pawtucket, county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanism for Looms, of

which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to feeler mechanisms for looms, and more particularly to that type of feeler mechanisms wherein the feeler. is given a movement in adirection longitudinally of the shuttle when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat.

The-feeler of such mechanisms is usually to'restrain movement of the feeler lengthwise of the shuttle when a working supply of filling is present on a detecting beat. The

constant impact of the toothed end of the feeler against the filling is liable to injure the filling, especially when it is of fine count yarn, or of delicatecharacter. This injurious impact is emphasized by the fact that the teeth sustain the full impact of the filling and by such impact move the feeler frontwardly in opposition to the usual means, such as a feeler spring for normallly projecting the feeler into. its rearward fee ing position. I I

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a feeler of'the type referred to wherein the toothed or tipend portion of the feeler is yieldingly mounted to receive the first impact of the filling on a detecting beat and then yield frontwardly 0 relative to the feeler to permit the smooth end portion of the feeler itself to take the full and complete impact of the filling whereby the feeler is moved frontwardlyagainst the usual fee'ler spring. When the filling is substantially exhausted on a'detecting beat and the feeler moves longitudinally along the filling carrier, it is desirable that the toothed, end portion of the tip of the feeler will not retard or obstruct movement of the feeler at thecritical time, and to this end the present invention contemplates forming the toothed end of the feeler tip with a trailing toothhaving a thereto" and without obstructing the movedelicate action ofathe feeler tip yielding means or spring'is required, the ener of the sprin being only sufficient to cause the teeth of t e feeler to engage the .filling and hold the feeler from premature side swi e movement. Such a spring is preferab y formed of leaf. character and another important feature of the invention therefore conslsts in providing a spring for normally projecting the toothed end of the feeler tip beyond the rear end of the feeler but sensitively yieldin infa frontward direction on the impact o the filling to permit the end of the feeler itself to receive the full impact on a detecting beat.

The above features of the invention and additional novel combination of parts will best be made clear from the following description and accompanying drawings of one good form of the present invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the feeler end of a loom provided with the presentinvention, some of the loomv parts being omitted. a

Fi 2-is an enlarged perspective View,

showing the end portion of the feeler and...

feeler tip.

'Fi 3 is an enlarged section plan view, showing the relation of parts when, on a detecting beat, a working supply of filling Fig. 5 is a vi'ew similar to that of Fig.

4, showing the feeler as moving longitudinally along the filling carrier" or bobbin; and 1 j Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of a modified form of the invention.

The general 'purpose'of a feeler mechal 105 nism being to'eifect a change in the m operation when the filling is substantially exhausted in'the shuttle, and more particularly to effect replenishment of the filling under the described conditions, and the train of mechanism for bringing about such change in the loom operation being now well understood, it has not been deemed neceswhich is provided with a finger 4 pivoted to the actuator at 5, the rear end portion 6 of the finger being: adapted at times for engagement with an operating member 7, which may be formed. as .part of or actuated from the camfollower.

Extending upwardly from the shipper stand 8 is a lug 9 to which is secured at 10 a support 11 having pivotally mounted thereon at 12' a. bell crankv lever the vhori zontalarm 13 of which underlies a projection 14 secured to the finger 4. The downwardly extending arm 15 of. the bell crank lever is connected; to r a; transmitter 16 which i is secured at 17. to a slide -18'mounted in suitable guidewayslQ-at therearof the feeler,

.stand 20.- The slide 18 :has an opening .21

thru'which the feeler 22 extends, and at the front portion ofthe feelerstand 20-isa swivel'block 23 thru which-thestem24 of the feeler extends.

The shipper stand Shasa projecting portion 25 to which is secured a:. bracket 26 which serves-tosupport the feeler stand in adjusted position by me-ans'of a-bolt.27, and

a spring 28 interposed between the-bridge 29 securedtoithe feelerandswivel block 23 normally serves to projectthe'feeler into its rearward feeling position. The parts so far described are or may be substantially the sameas the similar parts in the patent which has an openin to Edward-S. Stimpson, No. 1,309,226, and

need no further description. Thelaiy 29, is of usual character, an

has the shuttle box 30, the front wall of shuttle 32, as vdescri ed in the .Stimpson patent, so that on a detecting beat the end of the feelerv may feel thru the openings when a shuttle is in the detecting box and detect'the condition of thefilling.

In accordance with thepresent invention, the feeler 22 is provided witha yieldingly mounted feeler tip having a plurality of teeth for taking the first impact of the filling on detectin beat and to be moved frontwardly to ena la the rear end portion of the feeler itself to take the full impact of .the oncoming filling. As shown, the rear end portion of the feeler at 33 is provided with a housing for the reception of the feeler tip which is constituted'as' a block 34 having a series of teeth 35.

31,.as has also the In the present instance the housing is formed by providing an opening 36 in the end portion of the feeler for the reception of the toothed block 34 and the opening thus formed is of suitable dimension'to permit the toothed block to be moved normally with the teeth in a projected position beyond the end of the feeler, as indicated in Fig. 2, and to slide into the housing on the first impact of the filling to permit the rear end portion of the feeler itself to take the full frontward impact, the purpose of the teeth being merely to prevent premature side swipe movement of the feele The housing at the end of the feeler is shown as'having the side openings 37, one

. being indicated at each side ofthe feeler,

and secured to the feeler is a spring 38, one end 39 thereof being secured to the feeler frontward of the slot 36 to afford sup-,

port for the spring. The spring 38 is shownas of the sensitive leaf t c and is provided with a coil 40 from whic extends an end portion 41. of the sprin which passes thru the slots 37 formed in t e side of the feeler housing and is secured to the block 34. The slots 37 are elongated, as shown, 5

and the rear walls 42 of the slots are engaged by the end portion 41 of the spring when the feeler tip 34 is inprojected po sition, so that a part of the spring 38 acts as a stop to determine the projected tion of the feeler tip. When the bloc 34 with the series of teeth thereupon is in projected position as indicated in Fig. 2, the end ortion 41 of the spring rests a ainst the shoulders 42 ofthe housing slots 37, and on impact of a surface within the shuttle against any tooth of'the block, the sensitive character of the spring first causes the teeth to engage the filling with holding effect without unduly sinking into the filling, and then 'the portion 41 of the leaf spring is moved frontwardly to permit the teeth of the block 34 to move within the housing, as indicated in Fig. 3.

In securing the feeler and toothed block, the present construction shows the end 39 of the s ring passed thru an opening in the feeler rontward of the housing and the other end 41 of the spring passed thru an opening in the toothed block, the result being-that the end portion 41 .of the spring may engage the the osi-

the sensitive leaf spring to that 'the toothed portion of the block 34 shall present no obstruction to the sensitive move- .ment of the feeler'along the filling carrier,

and to this end the trailing tooth 43 of the series of teeth on the block 34 is provided.

with a rounded surface 44, the effect being that when the filling is substantially exhausted, as indicated in Fig. 4, the rounded surface 44 of the trailing tooth 43 will ,engage the surface of the bobbin or filling carrier, or the few turns of filling still left thereon, so that the feeler itself is then free to move along the filling carrier without obstruction by the teeth of the block, or injurious effect upon the filling carrier or bobbin itself, such movement being indi cated initially. in Fig. 4, and as taking place or nearly completed in Fi 5. In Fig. 5 it will be noted that, while t e tooth 43 is engaged with the surface of the filling carrier,

the rounded portion 44 of the trailing tooth rides along the surface of the filling carrier orbobbin and holds all of the other teeth of the series out of engagement with the the filling carrier 47 turn frontwardly into suitable recesses ward movement and having an of teeth extending lengthwise of thelshuttle the filling carrier or the end of the feeler with a cushion;

will not injure the feeler side' swipes, the roundedsurface ofat the trailing side surface of the filling carrier or bobbin.

As a further means for facilitating the movement of the feeler longitudinally along bobbin when the filling is substantially exhausted on the detecting beat, the rear end portion of the feeler itself has the trailing surface 45 formed rounded,

with-the result that not only does the rounded surface of the trailing tooth or bobbin, but likewise does the rounded surface 45 of the end of the carrier itself.

Inasmuch as the rear end portion of thefeeler 22 takes the full impactof the filling on a detecting beat, it may be desirable at times, especially with fine, filling, to pro i ifile is construction is shown in the modification of Fig. 6, wherein the end of the feeler is provided with a cushion material 46 which ma extend over the rear end portion of the feeler as shown and have its, side portions formed in the sides of the end portion-of the feeler, the result being that when the feeler takes the full impact of the filling on a detecting beat, the cushion material 46 filling, and when the the cushionmaterial 46 thereof will slide along without injurious effect. I What is claimed is the filling carrier 1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the P combination of a side swipe feeler mounted for yielding frontward movement and slid mg movement longitudinally of a surface within the shuttle, a feeler ti 'slidably mounted upon the feeler for yiel ing frontintegral row and which normally project from the rear end of the feeler to engage a surface of substantial area within the shuttle on a detect-.-

commences its side swi e movement the 43 ride along y shaped the surface in the order of their arrangement.

2. In a feeler mechanism for loo-ms,the combination of a side swipe feeler mounted for yielding frontward movement and sliding movement longitudinally of a surface within the shuttle, a feeler ti slidably mounted upon the feeler for yiel ing frontward movement and having an integral row of teeth'extendingl-lengthwise of the shuttle, the trailing toot of the series havin rounded surface to slide along thefil mg carrier as the feeler partakes of its side- I swipe movement and constructed to disengage the teeth from the surface-within the shuttle as the feeler partakes of its sideswipe movement mally project feeler.

In a feeler mechanism for looms, the

v combination of a side swipe feeler mounted ing frontward movement andhaving a wide mally pro ect from the rear end of the feeler to receive the initial impact of the surface within the shuttle on a 'detecti beat and arranged so that pressure of sa id surface against one or more of the teeth will cause the tip as a. whole to yield frontand a sprin for ur the tip rearwar 1y so that tfie teeth g d r beyond the rear end of theend provided with a row of teeth extendmg lengthwise of the shuttle and which norwa d y to pe mit the and of the feeler to engage t e surface within the shuttle.

4. n a feeler mechanismfor looms, the combination of a side swipe feeler having a long narrow slotin its rear end and mounted for movement frontwardly under the frontward pressure of a surface within the shuttle upon its rear end and for movement longitudinally of: the shuttle, a feeler 'tip constituting a blo ck that fits-the lon narrow slot and is yieldingly mounted t erein for sliding movement and provided with a series of integral teeth arranged in a. row lengthwise of the filling carrier and in po- SliilOIl to normally pro ect beyond the rear end of the feeler to receive the initial imformed in its end-and provided with-a tip slidable in the slet and comprising a block rear end of the block and extending in a row lengthwise of the shutt and a sprin outside of. the feeler and aving one on in cross-sectionoto conform to the p elongated s1ot, a series of teeth upon the mg beat and arranged so that as the feelers,

act of the surface within the shuttle on a arranged so that pressure 90, a block supported by the fee or for yieldthereof secured to the fe eler and the. other:

' engaging the block.

frontward pressure upon the teeth to permit I eler having a cushioned rear end and a tip constituted as a block slidably supported by the feeler and provided at its end with a series of integral teeth disposed in a row. lengthwise of the filling carrier, a spring normally acting upon the block to project its teeth rearward from the end of the feeler and constructed to yield under :1

-- surface within the made the cushioned end of the feeler to engage a shuttle.

7. A feeler having a slotted end portion and provided with a tip, a s ring outside of l and secured to the feeler an having one end thereof extending into the slotted end of the feeler and engaging the ti In testimony whereof, have signed my Q name to this specification.-

EUGENE H-. BALLOU. 

